Power control modules are configured to regulate the delivery of power supply to loads (e.g., electrical appliances, for example, cooktop appliances with heating elements, ovens, warming display cases, warming cartridges, etc.) As such, power control modules include a user control mechanism to enable the user to specify the power level, or some other equivalent value, such as temperature, the user desires to have delivered to the loads, and a mechanism by which the power provided by an external power source is regulated and delivered to the load.
The efficiency of a power control module is often a function of the module's power rating (e.g., how much power the module can handle) and the module's size. Typically, the physical dimensions of the power module are proportional to the module's power rating. In general, the more power the module has to handle, the larger the physical dimensions of the module need to be. This relationship is partly the result of the larger components (e.g., power level reduction components), and partly the result of the module's size requirement to efficiently dissipate heat generated from the operation of the power control module.